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PWD ordered to provide land for BMIC project

State seeks the cooperation of NICE in implementing the projectLand for the expressway to be allotted first and for the five townships thereafter

BANGALORE: The Karnataka Government has issued specific orders to the Public Works Department to provide land to Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise to complete the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) Project.

The land allocation will be strictly in accordance with the framework agreement as upheld by the Supreme Court. It is obvious that the Government has undertaken this exercise to thwart any contempt of court proceedings against it.

Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary to the Government, Public Works Department, P.B. Mahishi, in a letter to the Managing Director of NICE, has sought the cooperation of the latter in the execution of the project. In line with the court orders, the Government has said that the land required for the expressway will be first made over and the land required for the five townships will be made over thereafter.

Mr. Mahishi has said, "You, as a respondent before the Supreme Court, are equally bound to honour the verdict to implement the project as originally conceived and confine yourself to the rights available in the framework agreement in order to implement the judgment of the Supreme Court."

The State, after studying all aspects of the judgment and obtaining legal opinion, in order to implement the order of the Supreme Court "solicits your cooperation" in implementing the project, he has said.

Mr. Mahishi has said that the State is of the view that as the project has been directed to be implemented as originally conceived, the 162 km of road required 6,999 acres of land. Of this, the Government would allot 4,526 acres required for 111 km of the expressway, 2,193 acres for 41 km of the peripheral road and 278 acres for 9.8 km of link road.

"The State is taking emergent steps to make available 2,193 acres for the peripheral road and seven interchanges thereon and 278 acres for the link road," he has said.